A WOMAN in her 30s who has a condition which means her spine is similar to that of an 80-year-old, says swimming has completely changed her life.

Vicky Malmsjo, from Rivenhall, was told she has degenerative disc disease in 2018 after suffering with severe leg pain, numbness and ‘dropped foot’ for about three months.

Her condition eventually deteriorated to the point where she could no longer walk without help, so she underwent an MRI scan which revealed she had DDD.

The disease is a premature ageing of the spine and means some of the discs in the back lose their ability to act like shock absorbers, causing pain.

Vicky, 36, said: “It was difficult to walk or move around unaided and the pain was unbearable.

“I could not dress myself and found it difficult to sit down.

“I spent all day standing up as this was the position that caused the least discomfort.

“Since being diagnosed my life is completely different.

“I am limited in what I can do each day but I have a very strong mind and a willpower not to let it affect me.

“I am always thinking about my spine and am very cautious in large crowds so that nobody knocks into me and I always make sure that I am sat in a chair which supports my spine.”

Vicky says taking up swimming has helped her deal with the condition.

She started off by just walking lengths of the pool.

She said: “I walked up and down for maybe four or six lengths of the pool and felt like I had climbed Everest.

“I have found that through swimming front crawl I have reduced my symptoms so that I now don’t have to take any medication at all.

“When I saw the spinal surgeon in September last year he was flabbergasted that the person he was looking at was the same person on the MRI scans he had on his computer.

“I still have no reflexes in my knees or ankles and there are days when I get mild sciatic pains but if I did not swim I do not even want to think about where I might be now.”

She is now gearing up for her biggest swimming challenge yet, the Great East Swim, which will take place at Alton Water Reservoir in Suffolk on June 22.

Vicky said: “I wanted to take part in it because it is so iconic and it’s the only opportunity that you get to swim in Alton Water – so that’s very special too.”